A winter storm will persist for the center of the nation on Friday, as a cold front slows and becomes a stationary front stretching from Michigan through the Lower Mississippi River Valley. The leading edge of this system will continue pulling moisture and energy northward from the Gulf of Mexico, while cold air will continue pouring in along the back side of this system. This will allow for showers and thunderstorms to persist ahead of the boundary from Louisiana and the Tennessee Valley, through the Lower Ohio River Valley. Expect a combination of snow, freezing rain, and rain showers to develop along the back side of this system across Iowa into The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. There is a slight chance that severe thunderstorms will develop across the Eastern Valleys, with main threats being gusty winds and periods of heavy rainfall. Flooding will remain a concern for the Mid-Mississippi River alley as the region has not yet recovered from the major flooding that occurred last week.

Elsewhere, high pressure over the West Coast will allow for warm and dry conditions to persist for most of the West on Friday. Areas of the Desert Southwest will continue to see increased fire danger as high pressure maintains low humidity and gusty winds. Red Flag warnings will remain in effect across parts of California and most of Arizona.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday have ranged from a morning low of 3 degrees at Monarch Pass, Colo. to a high of 90 degrees at Camarillo, Calif.